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The English side has kept their options open for the series opener by including slow bowler Shoaib Bashir in a squad of twelve alongside five seamers

Wood has recovered and seems set to play versus the Aussies in Perth on Friday, with the final decision likely involving spinner Bashir and pace bowler Brydon Carse

Ground Situation

If the visitors select an all-pace attack - four main pacers along with all-rounder Ben Stokes - it would possibly be the most rapid assembly of pacemen they have used in an Ashes match in the host nation

Recently local wicket preparer McDonald commented to anticipate "fast and bouncy conditions" from the wicket at Perth Stadium, and it looks possible England will follow a established strategy of an pace-only strategy

However the English team have also spotted a lack of moisture to the wicket, putting the off-spinner into the running

Spin Considerations

During the brief existence of Perth Stadium - five earlier Tests have been staged here - Australia spin bowler the experienced spinner is the most successful bowler with 29 dismissals

The English management have supported Bashir, 22, as their first-choice spinner for over twelve months and in May he was recognized as the youngest England bowler to achieve fifty wickets in Test matches

But he has not played a official match since claiming the last dismissal in a exciting triumph over the Indian team in the third match at Lord's in July

Current Concerns

Bashir has been suffering from a hand problem and found it difficult in England's only warm-up match against the development squad, returning combined figures of 2 for 151 from his bowling spell

This presents the possibility of the spinner playing in an Ashes match without being affiliated with a county

The agreement at the domestic team expired at the finish of the English season

Expected Selection

However, an England team featuring Wood, Archer, Gus Atkinson, leader Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse - all of whom are capable of reaching high speeds - remains the most likely outcome

The first Test starts at early morning GMT on the weekend, with live text coverage, specialist radio coverage and real-time features accessible

England Squad

Team lineup for series opener: Ben Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Ben Stokes (leader), Jamie Smith (gloveman), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Bashir

Team Background

While a several successful Ashes campaigns at domestically and internationally have been founded on quick bowling, they have not previously used as numerous fast bowlers in the same team

The lineup that triumphed at domestically in the celebrated contest of that year included Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

Raymond Illingworth's triumphant visitors to Australia in 1970-71 had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and John Snow, and the England team that won in 1954-55 included Statham and Tyson

Present Circumstances

This time around - potentially the most exciting England-Australia contests in recent memory - England are hoping to reverse an difficult past - they have been unable to secure a five-day game in Australia since 2011

Only five members of the sixteen-player group have played a international Test in Australia, but Atkinson says that could help the visitors

"It could be an advantage," he mentioned to media outlets

"We've seen a numerous athletes who have stated they have had some tough times here in Australia

"Regarding our team, we are a quite calm, highly optimistic group

"No negative experiences

"It's thrilling

"We all see it as a huge opportunity to create history"

Host Team Situation

Australia's training on recently was briefly delayed by the threat of lightning

The home side are likely to give a debut to batsman Jack Weatherald, with uncapped pace bowler Brendan Doggett also joining following health issues to skipper Cummins and teammate Hazlewood